A typical data storage system includes a rigid housing having a basedeck and top cover that encloses a variety of components. The components include one or more discs having data surfaces that are coated with a magnetizable medium for storage of digital information in a plurality of circular, concentric data tracks. The discs are mounted on a spindle motor. In general, spindle motors are mounted and secured to a base of a disc drive with screws and corresponding threaded holes using a bracket mounting. The spindle motor causes the discs to spin and the data surfaces of the discs to pass under respective aerodynamic bearing disc head sliders. The sliders carry transducers, which write information to and read information from the data surfaces of the discs.
Recently, there has been a rapid increase in the production of smaller and lighter weight drives in the disc drive industry. The demand to reduce the physical size of disc drives has caused the diameter of the discs in the disc drive to decrease as well as a decrease in the amount of discs in the disc drive. As disc dimension becomes smaller and the amount of discs in the disc drive are reduced, so has the relative height of the disc drive become smaller. Therefore, a spindle motor that causes the discs to spin can only occupy a space that conforms to certain predetermined height requirements.
The use of screws and a mounting bracket are no longer a viable way of mounting a spindle motor to a base of a disc drive. The use of screws and a mounting bracket require more height than is allowed by the height constraints of the enclosure of a small form factor disc drive. In addition, methods of mounting a spindle motor to a base of a small form factor drive are difficult and costly. In particular, component part handling and component alignment have become increasingly difficult because of the space constraints.
Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to these and other problems, and offer other advantages over the prior art.